Graduation with Honors • Honors Handbook • GPR Calculator
Why Seek Academic Advice as an Honors Student?
As the University Honors Program has grown, faculty, staff and students have recognized a need for Honors advising. Honors students often want to know more about:
- What Honors courses are offered
- What they must take to graduate with Foundation or University Honors
- How one might contract an Honors course or set up an Independent Study course
- What is available in terms of graduate scholarships or other financial assistance
Honors students, like all other students, occasionally need advice of a more personal nature on matters unrelated to the Honors Program. We can also assist in such cases. Our goal for Honors advising is to form a partnership and personal relationship with high achieving students to enrich their lives and expand their horizons by:
- Providing a friendly and comfortable atmosphere
- Complementing departmental advising
- Being accessible to students
- Empowering students with resources, opportunities and challenges for success
- Recognizing achievement in honors
We wish to instill high expectations in our students and expand their perception of potential. The only success that counts is the success of our students.
Honors Courses and Honors Registration
While you can check the course offerings for the upcoming semester in a course schedule, you may also want to know what courses may be offered in future semesters. We can help you in this matter by referring to past course offerings or by contracting the appropriate departments. We can make Honors course offerings for the coming semester officially available to you approximately two weeks prior to the pre-registation period for that semester. You may also want to check out the Honors Scheduling Consortium that is held before Honors Registration each semster.
Students who plan to enroll in Honors courses for the semester are granted certain registration privileges. Honors students are able to register through the University Honors Program Office prior to normal registration. This service is offered to all students registering for Honors courses regardless of classification upon meeting certain qualifications.
Contracting Courses and Undertaking Independent Study for Honors Credit
Students who have previously earned at least 9 hours of Honors credit and have a 3.5 cumulative GPR (3.4 if enrolled under catalogue 126 or lower) are officially designated as Honors Candidates. After attaining this designation a student is eligible to contract courses for honors credit and undertake Independent Study for honors credit.
These are excellent methods of securing credit through coursework or research which is of particular interest to you. There are specific guidelines which a student must follow in order to obtain credit. The Honors Program Office has materials that explain the steps taken to complete coursework and can answer questions you may have about these opportunities.
Graduating with University or Foundation Honors
The Honors coursework that you take (including contract and independent study) can lead to graduating with distinction through the University Honors Program. Graduating with Foundation or University Honors requires some planning of the Honors coursework that you take. Our counseling staff can aid in this planning, helping you stay abreast of requirements and atttain an Honors degree.
National Scholarships
As you near the completion of your undergraduate career here at Texas A&M, you may want to apply for national scholarships that may help fund your graduate academic career. Our staff can help you know what scholarships are available and how to apply for such awards. Many of these scholarships (Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Goldwater, Udall, Mellon or National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship) are very prestigious and can be of tremendous help both financially and academically.
General Counseling
You may have questions for time to time that relate to grades, professors, tuition and fees, activities, or personal concerns. Feel free to visit with us about such matters, as we will either give you direct help or put you in touch with someone who can.